KEEP IT SIMPLE

When I first began my high school coaching career I asked for guidance from my former college coach Earle Brue, I asked him what makes an effective leader?

He said first, Effective coaches or leaders are masters of simplicity or the popular buzzword I use to use was “KISS’ method,” What he meant was that leaders are good at identifying the most critical core elements of strategies and highlighting them consistently”. Plus they work on the basic fundamentals and are able to tell stories that motivate Toughness! All I could think of was “J-E-S-U-S”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understandings in all your ways acknowledged Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverb 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 posed a paradox for me spiritually. Think about it, we are to get wisdom and understanding but not void or apart from the Lord.

Hum, You see Life is complex and often stressful. 

Human understanding looks at this verse and tries to explain it in a different way! For me early on I used the word, ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ from the movie Mary Poppins, it was magical for me in 1964. A Nonsense word meaning fantastic; a way for me to mask my brokenness and say everything is incredible, “even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough you’ll always sound precocious”.

So I asked you a simple – but not easy – question: what is your spiritual story?

In such an environment how many times have we finally arrived to the surface of a drowning situation only to realize that it wasn’t you or something that did the work but it was God (The Holy Spirit)? This invites me to realize the importance of keeping it simple or “back to basics”. One of my favorite books of the Bible reminds me of that simplicity,”1 John”.

1.    1 John places a great deal of emphasis on the reality of Jesus Christ-His incarnation and His role as the Messiah. The Son of God came as a human being, lived a human life and died while human.

2.     1 John shows that more important than what we say or know is whether we walk in the truth and obey God’s commandments.

3.     1 John exposes the false teachers and strengthens the faith of true believers and stresses the importance of Christian fellowship and love for the brethren

4.    1 John’s writings were intended to reassure and comfort us Christian members who are contending with dishonorable individuals, words and thoughts intent on shaking our faith through false and heretical teachings and times.

I hope I’ve kept this simple enough for us to see the importance of our time with Jesus. It is so easy to get distracted by the oppression of trials and of the many things that call for our attention. Don’t stay that way! Simplify your life. Prioritize your time with the Lord. One thing is needed.

Keep-It-Simple-Sweetie. Spend some time with Jesus each day, and then face what life may bring through his word thru Prayer.

God Bless You And This Ministry!

MENTEE FRIENDSHIP

Trying to capture a mentor’s persona in words can be like trying to capture smoke in a jar. It can be done, but it’s harder than I thought. If I had never met Allen a college English tutor/mentor who was socially awkward, at Iowa State, Back when I was in a far worse place spiritually, my joy of writing about faith would have been very different than I am now; several experiences with Allen led me to questions on how to be and being rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit!

 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

 Luke 9: 23-29  

It took me several years to discover how much the maxim of choosing to be happy about life holds true. Because of that history from an encouraging spiritual buddy, my ideas often explored the importance of the words, ‘The Whys of Life’. It served to be the start of a potential faith journey for redemption at first, based on a quote then the words of God re-introduced by my friend:

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why” Mark Twain

Each time together we would read that quote and prayed. We talked about how life can be overwhelming but it didn’t have to be. He would encourage me to stay in the word. He would say, remember Sugar Bear, “it’s the little things you do each day that can add up to make a big difference for yourself and others.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."  Ephesians 2:4-6



Paul took time to reflect on past human failures and God's present redemption. He insisted that God not only raised Jesus up and sat Him in heavenly places above all authority, but He did the same for all of us. We must identify with Christ in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We have been raised with Christ. No wonder Paul could lead with such boldness! He lived and led based on this paramount truth.  My question to you, what must you do to experience the same kind of authority in Christ?

We must see ourselves as Christ does and fix our minds on Him. We must base our life on this position rather than our own understanding and we must let go of old patterns. We will never guide in an inspiring way if we hold on to our old self, our old baggage, and our old citizenship. We must die to the past and mentor someone that God has placed upon your heart to guide spiritually. The hope first for you to dig deep within your soul and ask yourself this very poignant question: who would say that I am their mentor, making an impact on their life? As we remember our purpose of ‘Why’, we may drift when we lose sight of why God left us on earth. Our goal is to partake in God's redeeming plan for the world. If we embrace purpose, we gain power.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

This Desire’s A Consideration!!

Jesus Draw Us Close

There are places in scripture that are powerful, so deep, that to recite them is to experience them. Psalm 23 is one of those places for me. Psalm 23 is very personal. It is one of the first verses I learned as a believer especially during those occurrences when I needed a constant friend that covered parts of my life with a deep attending ear.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he . . . Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words . . . Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge . . . Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off. Hear, my son, and be wise; and guide your heart in the way."  Proverbs 23:7, 9, 12, 17-19

No matter how many times I say God is my Shepard, I must be reminded. I have yet to graduate from that truth,” Every want met”. Think about this foundational thought for a minute, “As my Shepherd, God cares, loves, provides and protects me”!  This basic Truth, “every need for me is met and everything else is secondary because I find satisfaction in God alone!” Smell the aroma and breath those words especially when you need a mentor/friend during those difficult times.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. As a Christian my life is two fold; resting, and lying on the bosom of Jesus without fear to serve the Lord. That leads us on a righteous path that glorifies him. Since he leads we are restored! I remember times as a kid how on a hot summer night during a severe thunderstorm. My mother would tuck me into bed. Just as she would turn the lights off I would want to say to her, “mama” could you stay with me all night.” You big sissy!” said the nature of my mind, “thinking my mother would be intolerant viewing me as a effeminate son I never showed her my fear.”

Oh my friends when you find yourself weak, in the dark, uncertainly of the future. When all the color has drained out of life, and your soul/heart is downcast, look up. Fix your eyes on Jesus his word, your Good Shepherd. Trust that he knows the way through this valley and will see you safety through. Believe that he has good reasons for taking you on this route even though it is unfamiliar. Hold on to the truth of the Gospel message that there is some thing better waiting on the other side of the Valley that will bring comfort and calm to the soul of those's who are a part of God’s flock by faith in Jesus Christ.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

I’ve Been Thinking As:

I Shed Tears “Do we honestly look/Talk about Racial Tension”. With Faithful eyes

I Shed Tears” As the Power of anger, rage, divides” and no one listens”

I Shed Tears “Knowing some have receive the “Talk” before leaving the “Crib”!”

I Shed Tears” For a culture with Historical Amnesia”.

I Shed Tears” for a mirrored life of intentional or unintentional Racial Micro aggressions”. I For GIVE YOU!

I Shed Tears” For the Genesis of Servitude echoing in a song of guilt”

I Shed Tears” Not for guilt but a onus of Action”.

I Shed Tears” For Faith Expressed by Love of God”, but no one is Heeding

I Shed Tears” When my mentors would not let me put Jelly Beans in my Frosted Flakes”.

I Shed Tears” Because Normal for me is Not Dissimilar to you”.

I Shed Tears” When it was wise to Listen when I didn’t exactly understand”.

I Shed Tears” In a Ocean of ‘Why’, Old School Alarm Bells, wearing a Afro or Hoodie”

I Shed Tears” when Love becomes a Monologue, It ceases to love”

I Shed Tears” As our love have an interesting rhythm because of our sameness, differences, not despite them”.

I Shed Tears” Chronicling, no man knows how bad he is till he has tried to be good, as I read Romans 3:23”.

I Shed Tears” Oh, what a Lovely Love memory, childhood, love relived”.

I Shed Tears” He raised for Love to Love until, reaching a level to Forgive, a peak where Love joined Love, and that was for us”.

I Shed Tears” Lord Jesus thinks on-men”. Come on Christian Leaders, “A New/old Plague Met With Silence, Denial”

I Shed Tears” that warm my eye’s and not blur my Vision for a life filled with Godly Love”.

I Shed Tears” As I´ve been thinking about belief in the holy spirit and in how he directs us on this journey of Faith, Do we believed enough to sacrifice our bodies for a future sureness, as Christian dialogue is needed”

I Shed Tears” Because God broke our hearts, to Prove us the Best, for the Promise, too my precious children, footprints, side by side never ceasing, so let Your Faith be Strong”!

I Shed Tears” Because this is how it started, a doorway to his heart, a eternal place, where love resides, Jesus”.

I Shed Tears “Knowing our true purpose in life-the worship and love of God”.

I Shed Tears” Praying not because you need something but because you have a lot to Thank God for”.